Customer stories
Hear it from the instructors and students who use it
IT instructors at technical colleges and career and technical centers, and a former IT student, on what they like about AbilityArc™, in their own words.
Customer story · Dixie Technical College
How one IT program added durable skills
Dixie Technical College’s IT program already taught the technical side. Breck Pedersen, one of its IT instructors, explains the gap they found, how students practice, and what he would tell other instructors.
“AbilityArc really gave us the content and material that allowed us to have some structured coursework for those skills. It really has helped fill a gap that the technical training has left.”
In this story
- The gap in technical training
“It really has helped fill a gap that the technical training has left.”
- Practice out loud
“Instead of just reading something and trying to put that into their brains, they have the ability to try things and to prove those skills.”
- Learning from industry pros
“It's not just fixing computers all the time. It's dealing with people…”
- Easy to set up
“Another thing that was extremely simple and easy to use was the ability for us to utilize this content in our existing management system.”
- His advice to other instructors
“It's something that can be reviewed and then gone over again and again.”
What other instructors are saying
“The content is solid. It aligns perfectly with what I'm trying to teach the students in terms of the durable skills.”
Chris Norris, Cybersecurity & Networking Instructor, Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center, Ohio “What I like about AbilityArc is it's bringing my kids out of their shells. So many of my IT kids have a hard time talking to anybody.”
Zac Ladner, Information Technology Instructor, Pioneer Technology Center, Oklahoma
What a student says
“Some of my favorite things about AbilityArc were the AI interactions and chats that you were able to have. It really felt like a real-life situation, that it really does prep you for that.”
What they value, and the feature behind it
The same few things come up again and again. Here is each one, with the part of AbilityArc that makes it happen.
01 · AI simulations · REACTOR
Practice that feels like the real conversation
After each lesson, students talk with an AI character who plays a user, manager or teammate, by voice or by chat. The character reacts to what the student actually says. Then a feedback report scores the attempt, names what went well and what to try next, and the student can try again.
See how REACTOR works“The material includes a lot of AI simulations that give them the ability to discuss these concepts and practice these concepts.”
Breck Pedersen, IT Instructor, Dixie Technical College, Utah “It's less ‘good job’ and more ‘here's the details of what you said and what you can improve and what you did well.’”
Carver Adams, Former IT Student, Bridgerland Technical College, Utah 02 · Industry pros
Lessons from people who have done the job
Working IT and security professionals from Apple, Huntress, BAE Systems and more teach every lesson on video, from their own experience. Students see the job they are working toward, and teachers don’t need industry experience to teach it.
Meet the instructors“The Don Crawley stuff really gave them a new perspective on compassionate thinking and realizing that this job has a lot of service aspects.”
Breck Pedersen, IT Instructor, Dixie Technical College, Utah “I like how the videos showcase different professionals in different areas and they can speak to their experience.”
Chris Norris, Cybersecurity & Networking Instructor, Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center, Ohio 03 · Ten durable skills
The skills employers and advisory committees ask about
One durable skill per chapter, from communication and collaboration to character and a growth mindset, each taught through real IT and security work. Students earn chapter badges and a Certificate of Completion to show employers. The ten skills are inspired by extensive labor market research from America Succeeds.
See the two courses“Every advisory meeting I'm ever in… we don't really care about the technical skills as much if they're showing up on time, if they're communicating… all the things that your curriculum is designed to teach.”
Chris Norris, Cybersecurity & Networking Instructor, Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center, Ohio “Empathy is also huge for these kids… My advisory committee is loving seeing the durability skills in action.”
Zac Ladner, Information Technology Instructor, Pioneer Technology Center, Oklahoma 04 · Ready to teach
Organized, and easy on teachers
We set up your class space and instructor accounts on the AbilityArc Learning Platform before your first day. Chapters run in order, and each one comes with a Teaching Guide, a prep email the week you teach it, rubrics with grading already set up, and simulations scored for you, with the best score sent to the gradebook.
See the AbilityArc Learning Platform“It's very organized in a way that the kids can follow sequentially.”
Chris Norris, Cybersecurity & Networking Instructor, Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center, Ohio 05 · Lifetime access
A good price point, and access that lasts
Each student gets lifetime access to the course, so they can keep coming back to it after the class ends. Schools choose per-student, teacher or campus licenses, and instructors never pay. Tell us about your program and we’ll send academic pricing.
See how to buy“And honestly, the price point, the lifetime access, the ability for students to continue to engage the product is outstanding.”
Breck Pedersen, IT Instructor, Dixie Technical College, Utah “It's one of those things that you won't pick up all of it the first time through. It's something that can be reviewed and then gone over again and again.”
Breck Pedersen, IT Instructor, Dixie Technical College, Utah
See it with your class in mind
Book a 20-minute walkthrough of a lesson, a live simulation and its feedback report, or get free instructor access and try it yourself.